Coupling means



April 1962 D. K. SCOTT ETAL I 3,028,991

COUPLING MEANS Filed Feb. 10, 1961 INVENTORS DALE K. SCOTT EDWARD K. MERCER BYW%%WM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,028,991 COUPLING MEANS Dale K. Scott, Atlanta, and Edward K. Mercer, Griffin, Ga, assignors to Southern States Inc., a corporation of Georgia Filed Feb. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 88,376 3 Claims. (Cl. 22923.4)

This invention relates to coupling means and more particularly to readily disjointable heavy duty coupling means especially adapted for interconnecting a pair of sliver cans to form a train whereby movement of the cans within a textile mill as a group is facilitated.

Frequently sliver cans are moved from place to place within the mill by an operator who simply slides the cans along the floor in groups of several cans. Each group may comprise some four or five cans. If the cans are pulled rather than pushed, suitable coupling means must be employed whereby a train of cans is formed. If the operator pushes the cans a suitable coupling is required which will effectively enable the operator to guide the foremost cans by controlling the rear-most one of the train, particularly where the cans are of the large wheel-mounted type.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved heavy duty coupling means for coiler cans which is simple to connect and disconnect and which also forms a disjointable coupling which is reliable and by which a guiding action can be imparted to the train of cans when the cans are pushed.

The invention in one form comprises a latch having a base portion and a pair of couple forming portions, the latch being movably mounted on a support bracket secured to the upper rim of one coiler can. Securely afiixed to the upper rim of another coiler can is a coupling bracket having a pair of latching apertures arranged to receive the couple forming portions of the latch to establish a connection between the cans, this connection being effected via movement of the latch from an ineffective position to a latching position while the coupling bracket and its associated can occupies a latching position relative to the latch and its associated can.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one form of coupling bracket comprising one feature of the invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing both the latch and its latch support which constitute essential features of the invention; FIG. 3 is a side view of all the elements of the coupling means comprising the invention in assembled relation and showing in cross-section fragmentary portions of two cans coupled togethed by the invention; and in which FIG. 4 is a top view showing structure similar to that depicted in FIG. 3.

As illustrated in the drawing, two cans respectively designated by the numerals 1 and 2 are coupled together by the coupling structure generally designated in FIG. 3 by the numeral 3. In FIGS. 1 and 2 the cans 1 and 2 respectively are schematically depicted by the dotted line circles. Afiixed to the upper rim of can 2 is the latch support 4. Latch support 4 is secured to the upper rim of can 2 by means of rivets 5. As can best be seen in FIG. 2, latch support 4 is provided with a pair of spaced apertured support elements 6 and 7. The apertures in support element 6 are designated by the numerals 8, 9 and 10 while the apertures in support element 7 are designated by the numerals 11, 12, and 13. As can best be seen in FIG. 2, latch 14 is formed with a base portion '15, a pair of couple forming portions 16 and 17, and with a central guide portion 3,028,991 Patented Apr. 10, 1962 1-8. The guide portion 18 rides in guide apertures 9 and 12. Couple forming portion 16 is slidable respectively in aligned apertures 8 and 11 while couple forming portion 17 is slidable in aligned apertures 10 and 13. The base 15 constitutes a stop element for limiting the downward travel of latch 14 due to engagement with the upper surface of the support element 6. In like fashion the upper travel of latch 14 is limited by the stop 19 which may take the form of a rivet as is best seen in FIG. 3 and which may engage the lower surface of support element 7. Preferably the lower ends of couple forming portions 16 and 17 are beveled as indicated at 16A. and 17A.

vsimilar to the way in which the latch support 4 is secured to the upper rim of can 2. As can best be seen in FIG. 1, coupling bracket 20 is provided with a pair of spaced couple forming apertures 22 and 23 which are formed in the coupling plate 24. The space between thevaper tures 22 and 23 is cut away as indicated at 25 to provide a clearance passage for the guide portion 18.

When cans 1 and 2 are brought together with the couple forming plate 24 of the coupling bracket 20 disposed between the support elements 6 and 7 of the latch support 4 while latch 14 is elevated, cutaway portion 25 receives the guide portion 18 of latch 14 and the couple forming aperture 22 is aligned with apertures 10 and 13 in support elements 6 and 7 while couple forming aperture 23 is aligned with apertures 8 and 11 in support elements 6 and 7. Thereafter the latch 14 is allowed to fall downwardly by gravity so that the couple forming portion 16 thereof moves down into the apertures 8, 23 and 11 and couple forming portion 17 moves into apertures 1t), 22 and 13 and effectively locks the cans 1 and 2 together. The bevelled ends 16A and 17A of course aid in forming the couple. It will be understood that due to the fact that two couple forming portions '16 and 17 and their associated apertures are used, a particularly strong and secure coupling is established which enables the operator to guide the foremost can by pushing the rearrnost can and which is adapted for use on very large, heavy cans.

Of course there would be effective control should the operator exert a pulling force on the forward can, it being obvious that such a force would not uncouple the cans. Furthermore, it is clear that in order to uncouple the cans the latch 14 is simply raised manually.

While we have shown and described a particular form of the invention we do not wish to be limited thereto and intend in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Disjointable coupling means for disjointably conmeeting a pair of coiler cans of substantially the same height, said coupling means comprising a latch support mounted on one of said cans adjacent the upper rim thereof and having a pair of vertically spaced apertured support elements, a latch having a central guide portion and a pair of spaced latching portions respectively slidable through the apertures in said support elements and said latch having stop means adjacent its ends for respectively engaging said support elements, a coupling bracket mounted on the other of said cans adjacent the upper rim thereof and having a pair of horizontally spaced couple forming apertures disposed at a level between said support elements of said latch support, said couple forming apertures being arranged respectively to receive said latching portions of said latch when said latch is lowered from its upper position to its lower position and while said coupling bracket is disposed between said support elements, said latch being effective to form a coupling between said support elements and said coupling bracket.

2. Disjointable coupling means for disjointably connecting a pair of similarly constructed coiler cans, said coupling means comprising a latch support adapted to be mounted on one of said cans and having a pair of vertically spaced apertured support elements, a latch having a horizontal base portion, a central guide portion depending downwardly from said base portion and a pair of downwardly depending latch forming portions on either side of said guide portion and respectively vertically slidable through the apertures in said support elements, a coupling bracket adapted to be mounted on the other of said cans and having a pair of horizontally spaced couple forming apertures disposed at a level between said support elements of said latch support, said couple forming apertures being arranged respectively to receive said latching portions of said latch when said latch is lowered from its upper position and while said coupling bracket is disposed between said support elements, said latching portions of said latch being effective to form a coupling between said support elements and said coupling bracket.

3. Disjointable coupling means for disjointably conmeeting a pair of similarly constructed coiler cans, said coupling means comprising a latch support adapted to be mounted on one of said cans and having a pair of vertically spaced apertured support elements, a latch having a horizontal base portion, a central guide portion depending downwardly from said base portion and a pair of downwardly depending latch forming portions on either side of said guide portion, said latch forming portions being respectively slidable in the apertures in said support elements, a coupling bracket adapted to be mounted on the other of said cans and having a pair of horizontally spaced couple forming apertures disposed at a level between said support elements of said latch support and a central cutaway part for receiving said guide portion of said latch upon relative horizontal movement of said coupling bracket and latch, said couple forming apertures being arranged respectively to receive said latching portions of said latch when said latch is lowered from its upper position and while said coupling bracket is disposed between said support elements, said latching portions of said latch being effective to form a coupling between said support elements and said coupling bracket.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

